WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has opened a 32-day campaign-style tour ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, casting himself as indispensable to Republican fortunes even as new polling shows voters souring on his handling of the Iran war and everyday costs.
An Associated Press-NORC survey released Thursday found 71% of Americans disapprove of the war, which began in late February and has pushed fuel prices sharply higher. Roughly half of respondents said they worry about affording food and gasoline, and only 26% approved of Trump’s economic management — numbers that have rattled GOP strategists in competitive House and Senate races.
On the stump, Trump has mixed social-issue appeals with attempts to ease anxiety about the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran. Both sides have claimed battlefield success, but a durable ceasefire remains elusive and diesel recently spiked above $6 a gallon, hammering trucking and manufacturing towns that are core Republican turf.
The president used a Texas stop to push back against critics of data centers as well, framing tech infrastructure as growth even amid bipartisan voter anger over power bills. He has acknowledged the midterms are high-stakes for his second-term agenda, yet party leaders still treat his rallies as the main turnout engine in red and purple states alike.
For Arizona voters watching from a battleground Senate and statewide map, the national frame is familiar: war fatigue, gas-station sticker shock, and a president who insists the remedy is more time and more Republican seats. Whether the blitz can outrun the AP-NORC verdict on living costs will shape the final five weeks of the campaign.